Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on March 7 and 8, 2025, with a focus on International Women's Day on March 8 in Navsari district. He will attend the 'Lakhpati Didi Sammelan' at Vansi-Borsi, disbursing over Rs 450 crore in financial assistance to more than 2.5 lakh women from 25,000 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) across the state.
The event celebrates the success of the 'Lakhpati Didi Yojana,' launched on August 15, 2023, which recognizes women earning over Rs 1 lakh annually through diverse means. Gujarat, under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has nearly 1.5 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis.'
During the Sammelan, attended by around one lakh women from Navsari, Valsad, and Dang districts, PM Modi will interact with and felicitate selected 'Lakhpati Didis'. A film showcasing the scheme's progress will be screened.
Two new state schemes will also be launched:
G-SAFAL (Gujarat Scheme for Antyodaya Families for Augmenting Livelihoods):** This scheme, with a Rs 500 crore budget over five years, provides Rs 1 lakh in financial assistance and vocational training to women from SHGs within 50,000 Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) cardholder families across designated districts and talukas. Field coaches will provide support and capacity-building sessions.
G-MAITRI (Gujarat Mentorship and Acceleration of Individuals for Transforming Rural Income): The Gujarat Social Enterprise Fund (G-SEF) has allocated Rs 50 crore over five years to support over 150 rural startups through seed and scale programs, empowering 10 lakh rural women and youth. Grants of Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh will be awarded to for-profit and non-profit social enterprises focused on rural livelihoods. The scheme aims to foster entrepreneurship and self-reliance through training and workshops.
These initiatives reaffirm the commitment of PM Modi and CM Patel to 'Women-Led Development'.